Project Linus – Make a Blanket Project
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The Bodwell Center supports the Maine Chapter of Project Linus by donating fleece and yarn (knit or crochet) blankets. In the last 3 years, UMaine has donated over 200 blankets!
During the spring semester, we try to hold Make a Blanket Day project and can provide fleece and yarn to make blankets. It all depends on available funding! Watch for information about this event usually during Winter Carnival in February.
We have instructions, scissors, and some supplies to assist in making blankets throughout the year. If you have or can get fleece or yarn, we can help you get blankets made.
Have everything? Just drop off the completed blankets at the Bodwell Center, and we will get them to Project Linus.
Not sure how to make a blanket or knit/crochet a square? Links with additional instructions and videos are posted below.
Helpful links:
Project Linus – projectlinus.org
Project Linus Patterns – projectlinus.org/patterns/. (The fleece pattern we use is No Sew Fleece Blanket #1)
Easy Fleece Pattern – NoSewFB
6″ Crochet Square Pattern — CLICK HERE
6″ Crochet Square Videos:
6″ Knit Square Pattern — CLICK HERE
6″ Knit Square Videos:
Project Linus Make a Blanket Day
THIRD SATURDAY IN FEBRUARY
- WHAT IS IT? National Make a Blanket Day is a day set aside by Project Linus and our chapters to bring awareness to our mission. This can be accomplished in several ways, and is mostly left up to the discretion of the chapter coordinator depending on local resources and availability. Although the official day is always the 3rd Saturday in February, it may be changed to another day that works better for the coordinator if necessary.
- HOW DID IT BEGIN? National Make a Blanket Day began in 1999 after the terrible events that took place at Columbine High School. We found that suddenly we were in need of a very large number of blankets, and quickly. Our chapters came to the rescue, holding “blanket bees” all over the country and then sending those blankets to our local chapters in Denver. It was a huge success, and we learned that we had a national network of people who could and would help. It was decided that we would hold an annual Make a Blanket Day where each chapter could host activities in their area to promote Project Linus and to increase our inventory of warm cuddly blankets. Generally, we can attribute the collection of 75,000 to 100,000 blankets to National Make a Blanket Day!